7 Day Ngorongoro Crater, Volcanoes, Great Rift Valley and Serengeti Safari.

Day 1: Lake Natron

Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Jambo, welcome to Tanzania! You will be greeted at your accommodation by one of the Faraona guides, who will provide you with a safety talk and a run down of the days itinerary. Once the formalities are completed, you will head towards Lake Natron, passing through Engaruka Maasai Village, made famous for its historical ruins. On arrival at Lake Natron, you will spend a couple of hours exploring the shoreline photographing the many thousands of flamingoes and other birds that frequent this soda lake. In the mid afternoon, return to camp for an early dinner and rest as you will be rising at midnight to commence your trek up Ol Doinyo Lengai. Trekking occurs at this time to avoid the extreme heat of the midday sun so be sure to take plenty of water with you and a good hat. Dinner and overnight accommodation at a local campsite.

Day 2: Ol Doinyo Lengai

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Rise at midnight to a coffee, tea and a light snack before heading off in your safari vehicle to the foothills of Ol Doinyo Lengai where your trek to the summit will begin. The trek is quite demanding and as there is no shade on the mountain, you will need to bring a good hat and plenty of water. The terrain underfoot consists of rough scree, lava and volcanic ash, with steep gullies and furrows to negotiate. Once you reach the summit you can explore the two craters with caution, as one of them is still active. Enjoy the breathtaking views across Lake Natron and the Great Rift Valley. Descend down by mid morning to the foothills of Ol Doinyo Lengai where your safari vehicles awaits you. Transfer to Mto Wa Mbu Village for a chance to wander around some locals markets to purchase some curios before heading to Panorama Campsite for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 3: Lake Manyara National Park

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today you will spend a full day of game viewing in Lake Manyara National Park, famous for its tree climbing lions, elephants and 3 species of primates including vervet monkey, blue monkey and baboon. The park boasts one of the highest concentrations of elephants in Africa and is home to the largest baboon troop ever documented. The uniquely lush green jungle habitat of Lake Manyara is nestled at the base of the Great Rift Valley, and its large lake shimmers like a mirage in the distance. Enjoy a packed lunch near the soda lake which hosts a large variety of bird life including large and lesser flamingoes. In the late afternoon return to Panorama Campsite to a dinner prepared by your Faraona Safaris chef.

Day 4: Serengeti National Park

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast you will head towards Serengeti National Park, stopping along the way at a Maasai village before heading to Serengeti National Park for an afternoon of game viewing en-route to Seronera Campsite in the central Serengeti. The Serengeti is unequalled for its beauty and scientific value and has come to symbolise the classic African safari. Your accommodation at Seronera Campsite is one of the few in East Africa where you truly get to experience the sights and sounds of Africa as the campsite has no fences and animal frequently pass through the campsite at night.

Day 5: Serengeti National Park

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
You will rise early to enjoy an early morning game drive in the Serengeti. At sunrise you may encounter animals grazing in the beautiful light of sunrise and predators may still be busy hunting before retiring to rest for the day. Sunrise on the Serengeti is not to be missed and extraordinary photographic opportunities will abound at this magical time of day. You have the option to return to the campsite for a hot lunch or to opt for a packed lunch which can be enjoyed at one of the various picnic sites found in the Serengeti. After lunch you will continue on a game drive. Around the time of dusk be on the lookout for lion. Cheetah can also be spotted on the plains in the early morning and late afternoon when temperatures are not too high. They rely on daylight and speed to catch their prey. Hippo pods can be seen in the bigger pools and rivers while crocodiles can be seen sunning themselves on the riverbanks. Dinner and overnight stay at Seronera Campsite.

Day 6: Ngorongoro Crater

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Rise early to enjoy an early morning game drive in the Serengeti, returning to camp mid morning to enjoy breakfast. After breakfast, enjoy a game drive en-route to Ngorongoro Conservation Area. You will have the option to visit Olduvai Gorge, the site of Louis and Mary Leakey’s famous discoveries of man’s ancient ancestors Zinjanthropus Bosei. We will strike the camp at Simba Campsite on the Ngorongoro Crater rim.

Day 7: Ngorongoro Crater

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Today we descend into the world famous Ngorongoro Crater, ‘Africa’s Eden’ and the ‘8th Natural Wonder of the World’. The rich pasture and permanent water of the Crater floor supports a resident population of some 20,000 to 25,000 large mammals. Since most of the Crater floor is grassland the predominant grazing animals are gnu, zebra, gazelle, buffalo, eland and kongoni. Within the crater rim expect to see large herds of zebra and wildebeest graze nearby while sleeping lions laze in the sun. At dawn. the endangered black rhino returns to the thick cover of the crater forests after grazing on dew-laden grass in the morning mist. We ascend the crater in the early afternoon and make our way back to Arusha, where your safari ends. You may wish to add one of our optional activities as your next destination. Maybe a gorilla trek or you may just like to spend a couple of days relaxing on the white sandy beaches of Zanzibar…